Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-05-28

help for it. There's nothing to be done.
couldn't eat my words. -
"How awfulIy sad!'' sighed Marion.
ooh, how awfully sad! It's like being
| under curse or doom, or being u
| pariah or leper. Oh, isn't it,"
| "No, not exactly Robert answered,
prosaically. '.But it's pretty rough. Yes,
] it is. I
! The next morning the guests at the
hotel We're greatly shocked to hear that
the beautiful old bishop had died sud-
denly in the night. Heart disease. His
long, sanity life had been closed by "a
/ death from the gods.'' His secretary tel
egraphed to England for directions from
| the bishops friends. In accordance with
these he left Immediately for Baltimore,
| whence the remains would be forwarded
/ to Liverpool. In reply to friendly in
| quiries he stated that he would not go to
England himself. Poor soul! he could
not. He was left penniless by this sud-
| den stroke. Thus it CHANGED that within
twenty-four hours after crossing their
path he drifted beyond the horizon of the
Derbys.
| In course of time Robert went back to
his post triumphant, engaged. He would
be promoted to his first lieutenancy within
year, when he would come east again
and claim his bride. Meantime his sister
would keep house for him-her first eff
fort at housekeeping; she was barely out
of school. -.t
Robert and Marion had been week at
Fort Cameron when, one afternoon, some
fresh troops arrived from point further
east. The Derbys were on horseback,
stones throw from the fort, when these
men marched in. Two other officers
were of the riding party, and Marion was
all animation and gayety as she sauntered
along; she gave casual glance only at
the dusty soldiers; neither she nor Robert
recognized one Of them. But Brissaye
knew the brother and sister in moment.
He would never forget Marion's lovely
face until he ceased to breathe. He
looked at her, gasped, staggered as
though he had received a blow in the
face, pulled himself together, and tramped
on. But in that flash he had decided
that Cameron was no place for him.
Apart from the torture that it would be
to see Marion constantly, there was an
other reason. In spite of the distinct
evidence of his African descent to Robert
Derby's keen vision, he had enlisted with
out difficulty as white man. He had
taken this means of coming west; he had
hoped to get away from any one who
knew of his antecedents thus, and after
he had served out his time in the army,
to strike out for himself in some business
in one of the growing frontier towns.
He had good deal of pluck and cour-
age, but fate seemed to have declared
against him the day he arrived at Cam
eron. 'There is brand on my fore
head" he groaned to himself as he tossed
that night on his narrow bed. But he
definitely made up his mind that he
could not and would not stay on in
place where at any moment his accused
race might be thrown in his teeth.
The next night the adjutant raped up
Robert Derby with an order from the
commanding officer. He was to take
charge of party Of cavalrymen to go
out in search of man who had deserted
within an hour. The party must get off
ct daybreak.
"You won't shoot him?" Marion in
quired, anxiously, when she heard the
news. "Who is it?'' private Lyons,
Of Company b. which left her not much
the wiser. Robert commended her to
the good offices of Capt. Sterne's wife,
who lived next door, and rode away at
dawn.
1t was long days search along the
circuitous course of the Yellowstone
The theory was that the deserter had
taken refuge in one of the many Indian
camps near the river banks. The Indians
J xx,a,.o rytx,o,, tO frond f11rpc Of f1,ic 1-ipJ
But tepee after tepee was ransacked with
out success. lit-Jt
II believe he struck across country,
after all, Robert said to himself. .sPoor
devil! wonder if he knows how easy it is
to get lost on these plains?" a...
He was standing at the entrance of a
tepee as he made this reflection. Near
by was seated coal black negro in Indian
attire. 'Black white man. grunted a
young buck at his elbow. Robert nod
ded; it was usual thing for negroes to
become domestcated in Indian camps, as
he was aware, where they were both
popular and looked up to.
The end of the expedition was stage
ranch forty miles from the fort. No news
here of the deserter. 1t was useless to
go farther, and the party settled down
for the night in such quarters as the
place offered. Robert fell heir to the
doubtful hospitality of the one bed, inno-
cent of sheets. As he settled down be-
tween the gray blankets he doubted
whether he were better or worse off than
the wife of friend of his who, travelling
that way. rashly inquired of the ranch
man whether fhe sheets then on the bed
were clean. The man was grieved and
aggrieved. ga very respectable party
slept in them last night; that's all,
ma am" They had been since discarded
as an unnecessary luxury.
The next day the soldiers retraced their
way, following as before the winding
river for some distance, then making for
the fort by a short road. They re-
searched several camps. In one of them
Robert somewhat absently noticed an
other black white man. The latter was
standing with his back to him, but
Robert remarked his closely waved hair
wool and picked him out for what he
was. A grim visaged Crow handed him
pipe, which he accepted and smoked as
Robert stood there. He was apparently
an honored guest every dog has his
day." Lieut.. Derby reflected as he strobe
away. He reached Cameron with his
men without further delay and reported
his failure to find the man who had
deserted on the third day from his de-
parture.
Have you guessed that it was Brissaye
whom he came upon smoking the pipe of
peace in the Crow tepee? If you have, it
was more than Robert did. His vision
had been crossed by woolly head,
swarthy neck, a form huddled in a
blanket. But Brissaye it was. He had
eluded his pursuers by hook or by crook
on the first day of their ride. Then
while they slept at the stage ranch he
had made friends first with a squaw man
(white), then with a squaw, next with a
hospitable buck. These had fed and
lodged him, and in the end received him
into their family. The terms of this